


Gambling Man

by SaberTheFallenAngel



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crimes & Criminals, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Deception, F/M, Secrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:21:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23448448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaberTheFallenAngel/pseuds/SaberTheFallenAngel
Summary: When Cinder Fall and her associates hired notorious criminal Roman Torchwick to run a few jobs for them, they didn't realise the mistake they'd just made. The gangster is playing games behind the scenes, and with his trusty partner by his side, he might have a few surprises in store for the megalomaniac.
Relationships: Neopolitan/Roman Torchwick
Comments: 7
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

A cold breeze passed through the streets of Vale, carrying with it a chill that ran up the spines of the citizens. Not only for the cold, but for the group of men dressed in black striding through the moonlit pathways, following a man in white as he swaggered towards the nearest Dust shop, cane clutched in his gloved hands.

He made note of how the people of the city backed away from him in dread and smirked to himself. Keeping the everyday folk of the kingdom on their toes made him think he was doing his job right. After appreciating the effect for a moment he went inside the small business before him, his goons filing in after him.

_“Decent stash. This should make for a good haul.”_ He felt a little bad for the owner, a man clearly past his prime but still trying to make an honest living. He didn't really deserve what was about to happen, but orders were orders. Approaching the elderly gentleman, the man in white breathed out some smoke from his cigar, ashes falling onto the otherwise pristine shop floor. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?”

One of his men pointed a gun at the owner, who cowered backwards. This pleased him, as it meant the man was less likely to try anything that would risk complicating what was about to happen. “Please, just take my Lien and leave!”

“Shh shh shh. Calm down. We're not here for your money.” He tried to sounds calming, as that usually helped keep things moving smoothly, but didn't go so far as to make the man fully relax. He turned to his henchmen. “Grab the Dust.”

They got to work pilfering the store's stock, while he began admiring the purely cut Dust crystals kept beneath the counter. For a small shop, the man had a reasonable stock to his name. Taking one into his hands, he began looking it over closer, noticing the reflection of his ginger hair and bowler hat shine on its surface. Before he could get too lost in his own reflection, vague sounds of a commotion came from further in the building. Had their still been a customer in the shop when they came in to rob it?

...Yes, apparently, as he saw one of his hired men come flying past him, landing on the ground with no grace or dignity whatsoever. This was unexpected, but he could work around it, as he signalled for one of the others to go see what had caused this disturbance. Surely whatever it was could be handled by sending enough men at it. _“Then again, Junior didn't seem to confident in the abilities of these guys.”_

Then a red blur knocked the man he sent through the shop's window. Turning to gaze out at whatever it was, he was met with the sight of a girl he'd estimate was in her mid-teens at oldest. That in itself would not have been too notable, but her red cape caught his attention only slightly less than the massive collapsible scythe she pulled out and brandished in the direction of his men.

_“Huntress...”_ He thought to himself, discarding his previous thought that this would not be a complication. This had just become a massive change to the plan, and one that required his attention to think of a solution. While he did that, he would need a distraction. 

“Okaaaay...” Looking at the men in black, he felt genuinely disappointed that they were so slow to respond to what should be an obvious threat. He didn't even bother hiding said thoughts as he finally spelled it out for them. “Get her.”

The “fight” that followed was either an impressive showing for the girl, or an embarrassing one for his men, though he was not ignoring the possibility of it being both. She made short work of them, darting back and forth and swinging her scythe with impressive ease, aided by the firearm inside it, which served as further proof of her status as a Huntress. He wasn't sure which of them he pitied more, as one was sent flying through the air, another got slammed into the ground by the full weight of the weapon, and the last one was launched into the air before being kicked to the ground by his feet. 

“You were worth every cent. Truly, you were.” He said to the now unconscious goon, not even attempting to hide his disappointment before turning his attention to the girl. “Well Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening. And as much as I'd love to stick around...”

Lifting his cane and pointing it at her, the tip lifting away to reveal a gun barrel. “I'm afraid this is where we part ways.”

A single shot was all he needed. She dodged it, of course, but he didn't need it to hit. All he needed was for it to distract her long enough for him to use the other function of his trusty weapon, a grappling hook, to pull him towards a nearby ladder. By the time she landed from her gun assisted leap over his attack, he was already halfway to the meeting point atop the building rooftop. _“Just focus on getting out of here. We can handle the consequences later.”_

The night hadn't quite gone to plan thanks to this interruption, but it was still salvageable as long as he could meet his “friend” here and make his getaway. Running across the rooftop as soon as he made it to the top of the ladder, he heard the sound of yet another gunshot of that infernal scythe, followed by a high pitched voice yell at him. “Hey!”

He stopped, frustrated but not surprised at how much this girl was interfering, but hearing her confirmed something he had suspected earlier. Between her appearance, voice and the general way she carried herself, he could guess she was still a student, not a fully trained Huntress yet. That would make handling things easier, though he still let his frustration seep into his tone as he mumbled under his breath. “Persistent...”

He would have reason to cheer up when he heard the familiar sound of a Bulkhead's engines, followed by the sight of the aircraft pulling up towards him. The girl must have been surprised to see it, as she made no effort to stop him climbing in through the side door, turning to face her once he did, pulling something he had managed to snag from the shop before his hastier than planned retreat. A dust crystal. “End of the line, Red!”

Tossing it at her feet, the girl didn't seem to realise the danger she was in as he pointed his cane a second time and fired at the crystal. The shot collided, triggering a fiery explosion. He had to laugh at how brightly it burned. “Woohoohoohoo!”

It was short lived, as he narrowed his eyes at a purple light seeping through the smoke. A complex glyph stood between the girl and the fire, and he could see the woman who had conjured it standing there as well. He recognised her. Glynda Goodwitch. A real Huntress. Red might not have been a complication, but the woman standing before him now was.

_“Dammit! Everyone wants to ruin my night, don't they?”_ As the woman began firing bolts powered by Dust at the ship, he forced himself through the turbulence it was causing to get to the cockpit, yelling to the pilot. “We got a Huntress!”

She understood, and being better suited for dealing with it, ran to the back area, leaving him to pilot the ship. Between being the getaway driver and being the one who fights a trained warrior, he would gladly pick the former of the two.

Pulling away as best he could, he prepared to get them out of there before the situation could get any further out of hand. This became a little more complicated when storm clouds began to spontaneously gather overhead. Even less so when those clouds began spitting sharp icicles at the ship, one only missing his head by a quick movement on his part. _“We're getting turned into a pincushion here! Hurry it up with that cover fire!”_

Looking out the window, he could see his accomplice firing shots back at Goodwitch, who easily countered by forming nearby debris into a spike shaped swarm. The crimson clad woman attempted to counter it, but it moved too fast to destroy, necessitating quick thinking on his part. By shifting the angle of the craft, he was able to make it bounce off the top, still causing damage, but allowing them to stay airborne a little longer. _“We can't take more punishment like that! Gotta get us out of here next chance I get!”_

With a blast of whatever fire powers it is she has, the former pilot blasted away what remained of the debris, before blocking a few shots that Red tried to fire at them. Knowing that they were running short on time before reinforcements came, the sinister woman prepared to summon more pillars of fire beneath the two, giving Goodwitch enough time to see what she was doing. The attack didn't need to hit, it just needed to make the Huntress waste time getting the young girl to safety.

With a flick of the riding crop she used as a weapon, Red was moved out of the path of the fire, before Goodwitch just barely dodged in time. Seeing his opportunity, the man turned the ship and flew off as fast as he could, secure in the knowledge that the two couldn't chase them any further.

“Phew. I'm all for having women pay attention to me, but that was not what I had in mind.” He said jokingly to lighten the mood, even though he doubted she would appreciate it. It would be less fun if she did.

“What happened out there? I sent you to rob a simple Dust shop, and you come back with nothing.” The girl was clearly unhappy, but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment.

“I would have thought it's fairly obvious. Wannabe hero gets in the way, makes a scene big enough for a Huntress to show up. I'd probably have better news for you if Junior's boys weren't so...lacking.”

“And yet the only better result you were able to manage was escaping. Why should I consider you any more useful than them?” There was a threatening edge to her words, as if she was considering cutting her losses with him and finding new help. Considering who she was, she probably was, and with a more literal use of the word “cutting” than he would have liked. Not releasing the controls for the ship, he carefully considered how he was going to sell himself as a useful ally.

“How about the fact that I'm still walking free after some runt with a scythe-gun tried to stop me? Or how about the fact I was able to fly this thing even as a Huntress was shooting at us and raining ice on our heads?” He tapped the icicle still lodged next to his head for emphasis, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a crystal, switching his tone from sarcastic to charming. “Or how about the fact I still got you a souvenir after all that?”

After a moment, the woman snatched the crystal from his hand and observed it, smirking once she was convinced it was real. “Hmm, perhaps you have earned a second chance. But understand I don't tolerate failure, so you had better get bigger results than this next time.”

He smirked at getting to keep his job, and went back to piloting towards the planned drop-off point. “Oh, don't you worry, gorgeous. I always aim to outdo myself.”

A few minutes later, he landed near the docks, and the woman got out, handing him a cheap scroll as she did. “I'll contact you about your next job through that. I'll be in touch soon, so keep it on you. Now go dump the ship.”

“Aye aye, captain. See you soon.” Taking off again, he pretended to thank the ship for a good night's work, but even he wasn't sure who he was putting on a show for. Not long after, the ship was being taken apart for scrap by some enthusiastic and not particularly inquisitive men dealing in illegal vehicle mods. All evidence that could be used to track their whereabouts would be safely distributed amongst random cars across Vale, with no-one being the wiser.

Now that his jobs for that woman were finally done for the night, he walked a few blocks, taking in how much quieter it was now than it had been just a short while earlier. Perfect time for a late night call to another friend of his.

“Hey there. Before we get into it, let me just tell you that the coffee on Wayne Avenue is to die for. Maybe we should meet up there some time?”

The man on the other side of the call chuckled over the line, no doubt happy to hear the coded phrase for the first time. “Perhaps we should. Though if I must ask, does this mean you have good news for me?”

Looking around the street one last time to be sure, he said the words he'd been waiting all night to say. “...I'm in, Ozpin.”

“Wonderful to hear, but let's discuss the details over that coffee you mentioned. Say, tomorrow at noon?” The headmaster's smile could practically be heard through his voice, proof of a job well done.

“I'll be there.” He hung up the call without another word and strode down the path before him.

This is Roman Torchwick, Huntsman, spy and gambling man.


	2. Chapter 2

It made the news, his performance from the prior night. Every news reader worth their salt gave mention to "notorious criminal Roman Torchwick", and his daring escape from the authorities. If he was being completely honest, he could think of a few things he would rather have the news be calling him, but in his line of work, honesty could get you killed.

It might have surprised the people watching those broadcasts to know he was just walking around in the middle of the day, but he was no amateur. He knew how to make people ignore him. _"A little fake scar on the cheek, some prop glasses, different clothes and sleeked back hair. Not sure if I'm a genius for figuring this out or if the cops are in desperate need of re-training."_

Most people weren't looking for him or wouldn't remember his face well enough to identify him, and the police would see the pale line on his cheek of an old scar that their target didn't have and think they were looking at the wrong guy. All of this added up to him being able to walk into a coffee shop in the middle of the day while he's being actively hunted, with no-one being the wiser.

Ordering something strong to keep him awake after his long night and short nap, the ignored man took a seat in a nondescript corner of the cafe, sipping the drink as he waited for his employer to arrive. It didn't take long, as the headmaster took a step inside at exactly noon, the few customers who recognised him reacting with surprise at seeing him He ordered a drink of his own, then sat across from Torchwick when it arrived.

"Wait. Don't tell me, I wanna guess. Hot chocolate again?" He asked jokingly of the white-haired man, leaning back into his chair as he watched the other man drink.

"Yes, and I must say that your recommendation was well founded." Ozpin said with a small smile as he rested the cup down on the table. "So, what have your studies found, professor?"

It felt strange to be called that, but Ozpin wanted this discussion to be kept as secret as possible, so using code, false names and titles was a necessity. Roman drank his coffee, now half empty before he spoke again. "It's a promising start. Still taking off though. The subjects aren't quick to trust."

"As is to be expected. We can only do so much at a time with such delicate circumstances." His gold eyes glanced towards the door, even though it hadn't opened. One thing anyone who knew him could tell you is that Ozpin was secretive, keeping as much as possible close to his chest at all times. Sometimes it made him look paranoid, but Roman knew that it wasn't that simple.

"Still, one of the test subjects is showing promise. I'm going to keep an eye on her and see how she affects the rest of the experiment." He held a card under the table, making sure it was at an angle that the rest of the customers couldn't see, but that Ozpin could. The professor took it and pocketed it for later. It only said four words for now, and was the only lead Roman could say for certain he had; _Her name is Cinder._

"Well, do keep at it. I have confidence that you can see this experiment through to the end." The Beacon headmaster finished his drink and stood up to leave, turning back before departing. "Oh, but do be careful with Dust crystals in future. They can be quite dangerous if not handled properly."

 _"I was really hoping he hadn't heard about that part."_ Roman scratched behind his neck awkwardly, trying not to make eye contact with his boss. Ozpin may have sounded casual, but the redhead could tell he wasn't exactly happy with his employee throwing an explosive Dust crystal at a minor. "In my defence, I was...at least 90% sure things were going to work out well."

"Yes, well next time only take that risk if you're completely certain. Proper handling of Dust is simple safety for you and those around you, after all." With his brief scolding done, Ozpin left, dropping a few extra Lien in the tip jar as he went. With his employer gone, Roman reached into his pocket for a cigar by reflex, before stopping himself when he remembered that he had left them behind.

 _"They're looking for a redhead with taste in cigars, genius. Just because they haven't spotted you yet doesn't mean they won't if you make dumb mistakes."_ Eventually withdrawing his hand from his pocket, Torchwick knew he'd have to get his craving back at his apartment until the heat was off, or until he was back in-character. Running a hand through his hair to recompose himself, he finished his drink, left a noticeably smaller tip than his boss and walked back onto the streets of Vale.

He couldn't help trying to keep his head down as he walked, feeling strange walking around without his cane. It wasn't that he wasn't armed, as he had a small self-defence knife on him just in-case of problems, but he was so used to having Melodic Cudgel on him that he felt less safe without it. He had heard that some Huntsmen and Huntresses had similar reactions to being far from their weapons and it wasn't hard to see why. They were practically trained to treat their weapons like an extension of themselves, so being without it could feel like you were apart from a piece of yourself.

The need for a cigar wasn't helping, nor was the fact the police were looking for him and his boss would deny any knowledge of him should he get caught. For starting this trip so confident, he was becoming increasingly eager to get out of the public eye, walking faster and ducking into alleys anytime he thought it would make his journey quicker.

When he finally made it back home, he grabbed his cane from its place near the door, gripping it tightly as he walked over to where he kept his cigars, rummaging around for one. "Come on, come on...! I know I have some in here!"

Behind him, he heard something, a distinct clicking noise of a lighter being opened and closed. For most people, hearing someone other than themselves in their apartment when they live alone would be cause for alarm, particularly when the only firearm they have is unloaded because they were responsible enough to not leave a loaded gun lying around their house unguarded. Roman just smiled, as he knew who it was currently sitting in his chair, as they had done this multiple times before. "You know, you should really call before you visit. I'd have picked you up something to drink before I came home."

Turning, he was met with the sight of a girl with pink and brown hair lounging in his armchair with his lighter in one hand and his box of cigars across her lap. She even had the nerve to wear his hat, smirking as she rested the lighter down and begin moving her hands in precise patterns. He read her sign language with ease, having mastered it himself just to understand her. "Where's the fun in that?"

Resting his cane down again, he strode over to her and reached for the box of cigars, lifting one from it and bringing it to his lips. "We need to talk about your definition of fun, Neo. I get the feeling we have very different ideas about that."

Neopolitan, or Neo for short, was a memorable girl, for a multitude of reasons. Her look, a distinctly patterned hair style with eyes that changed between a variety of combination, combined with fine clothes and short stature, made her stand out from a crowd, even in as diverse a place as Vale. Her skills were also hard to forget, as he had never seen anyone so gracefully decimate her opponents or look like they were enjoying it as much as she did. Some might linger on her silence, a result of her being naturally mute and needing to find other means to communicate.

But the reason Roman could never forget her was because she was his oldest companion, the last link to a life almost lost to time, and his partner from his academy days. She was as much a part of him as his arm at this point, and he would never complain about seeing a face he could trust, even if she was breaking into his home to visit him. "I was hoping you'd jump. I'll have to try something new next time."

"As much as I would love it if you for you to rob our enemies the chance to kill me by startling me to death, can we put a rain check on that until I'm done with my job?" She handed him his lighter as he spoke, giving him the chance to finally get his craving out of the way. As soon as he inhaled, his nerves calmed and he took his time exhaling, making sure he blew the smoke away from Neo. She never particularly liked his habit, but indulged him for the time being as long as he minimised how much of it she had to smell.

"Oh? You onto something?" Sitting down on his sofa, Roman grabbed an ashtray and held it close by as he went over the facts in his head.

"I think I've been dealt a good hand to play, if that's what you wanna hear. You should see her, Neo. Dark hair, gold eyes, and looks in all the right places." He chuckled as his partner rolled her eyes at his comment.

"This "hand" got a name?"

"Cinder. Still working on that last name, but I'll get it soon enough."

"Because you have a way with the ladies, right?" He wasn't sure how many people could be sarcastic through sign language, but Neo had perfected it. Shifting to sit upright, her expression became more serious. "You need any help?"

He held the cigar up to the ashtray as he breathed out more smoke, thinking carefully about what to say. "This could be our big break, but I don't think she trusts me enough to bring in my own people yet. Stay on standby for now, and I'll call you if I think I can get you in on this."

She had been protective of him for years now, even though she knew he was capable. Letting her know how much he wanted to have her looking out for him would put them both at ease. With his cigar almost completely burned out, Neo left her chair and sat next to him, leaning against his shoulder with a concerned expression. "Just stay safe."

"Come on, it's me we're talking about! There's nobody more careful than me!" He said with posture, relieved to hear a faint giggling coming from her. It was one of the only noises she could make, so it was always nice to draw it out of her. "Just remember what we used to say; Rain's overhead, but blue skies on the horizon."

She signed the last few words as he spoke, both knowing the saying off by heart, before they relaxed against each other. Content in that moment, he couldn't help but think about how lucky he was to still have her by his side after all this time, and how it all came to start.

* * *

_One of the earliest things he could remember was the smell of the farm. An earthy smell that most people in the cities would turn their noses up at, but that he couldn't bring himself to be bothered by. Every morning, the rising sun would shine through his window, right into his eyes to wake him up and remind him that being a kid didn't make him exempt from doing his part._

_Coming downstairs, he would always find his parents awake, active, and annoyingly cheerful for this early, but they gave him breakfast, so he forgave them for it. His father, a man who he would one day be the spitting image of, would leave soon after to tend to the fields and harvest the crops at the right time. His mother, a beautiful woman with a sarcastic streak, did a few different jobs around the area, but mostly worked in the greenhouses._

_While they were doing that, he had to make sure the house was clean before he was allowed to do what he actually wanted to with the day. Sometimes he would sneak out and come back to do it later, but he'd usually get caught if he did, so most of the time he just got on with it, then went to play outside once the place was spotless._

_The farm hadn't been around for long, but he couldn't remember a time it wasn't there. His father was friends with the farm's owner, Bartleby Brunson, and when the other man had suggested they try to live off of the land, it hadn't taken the older Torchwick much convincing to agree to give it a try. In honour of his friends trust, Bartleby made sure that both their names would be memorialised in the name of their new home; Brunswick Farms._

_Or at least, that's the story he'd heard from Bartleby's son once. Honestly, he didn't care about the details. Home was home, and it was all the young boy needed to know._

_His oldest distinct memory was a day that started like any other before it. He woke up like normal, ate like normal, cleaned like normal, and then went out to play like normal. There wasn't much for a lone child to do, surrounded by people older than him. Sometimes some of the grown ups had enough free time to play, but usually he had to make do by himself. At the moment, he was kicking his ball against a nearby wall, content to keep doing that until he got tired._

_"Having fun there, Roman?" Turning to the voice, he saw it was Mrs. Brunson, the kindly wife of Bartleby coming up to him._

_"Sure am. Practisin' for when I can wow the world, you know?" He spoke with the playfulness only someone so young could possess, drawling a small laugh from the older woman. "You lookin' for mama or papa?"_

_"Actually, I was looking for you. I have a favour to ask." This was different. The only grown ups who ever asked him to do anything were his parents, so he was curious about what it was. When he didn't complain, the woman knelt down to his eye level. "I need to visit the city to pick up some things, but there's someone I don't want to be left alone right now. Can you stay with them until sunset?"_

_"Who is it?" Roman asked, not knowing who she could be referring to. Had someone gotten sick and needed looking after? Could he really be trusted with that if it were the case? Instead of answering, she extended a hand to him._

_"Come on. I'll introduce you." Taking his smaller hand in her own, Mrs. Brunson led him to her family home, a place he had visited a few times for dinner, but never during the day. He had always stayed on the ground floor of the house on the few times he had visited, so it was a new experience when he was guided up there. After a few more steps, they stopped in-front of a closed door and the woman looked him in the eyes again. "Before we go in, there's something you should know. The person you're about to meet can't speak like you or me, so be sure to pay attention to what she does."_

_"Why can't they talk?" He asked innocently, so used to being able to speak that the idea of lacking that was hard for him to understand. For her part, Mrs. Brunson just smiled sadly._

_"It's a long story, that I'm afraid I don't have time to tell." Standing up straight, she knocked on the door. "I'm coming in."_

_He could have sworn he heard a faint bell noise from the other side of the door, before the woman turned the knob and pushed it open. Looking inside, he saw a perfectly normal bedroom, with books and wooden toys scattered next to the bed. There, sitting upright was a small girl, one who couldn't be much younger than himself, staring at the older woman and waving faintly. She looked so pale, and her arms were so thin and fragile looking._

_"Hi there, Neo. Mama's just going to get you some more medicine and maybe a nice new book if I can find any. But before I left, I wanted to introduce you to someone." She turned back to him, as he had remained rooted in place even as the woman walked up to her child's side. He approached when she beckoned him in, cautiously approaching the girl as she looked at him with curious eyes. "This is Roman. He's the same age as you, and I've asked him to keep you company till I get back."_

_The girl's gaze never left him as her mother spoke, and seemed so empty at first. He wouldn't lie, at that moment he was a little uncomfortable, wondering just what was going through her head. But then she smiled softly and gave him a small wave to say hello, and he felt a relief wash over him. "Hiya. Nice to meet ya."_

_Mrs. Brunson gave them a warm look as she grabbed a nearby bag and slung its strap across her shoulder. "Thank you for doing this. If there's anything you're not sure about it, go find my son. He'll be on the field behind the house today."_

_He nodded, and with a content expression she leaned over and kissed her daughter on the forehead before turning and leaving the two alone, where what felt like a long silence settled over them, even though it only lasted a few seconds. "So...your name's Neo?"_

_She nodded, and continued to just sit there, staring at him. He tried to avoid looking her in the eye, as it was quickly becoming uncomfortable. Still, he had to do something, or else they would both be in for a long, silent and dull afternoon._

_"Is there anything you wanna do?" He asked, hoping she would give him some kind-of sign. Trying to understand someone who couldn't speak was more stressful than he had thought. Thinking for a second, Neo reached for a book next to her and handed it to him. He took it from her and looked it over, surprised that a girl so small would have such a thick book with her. "You want me to read to you?"_

_She nodded again, pointing to a bookmark sticking out from between the pages. It wasn't hard to figure out the rest from there, so he opened the book to the page the bookmark rested on it. It was a book of fairy tails, and from the looks of things she had already had half of them read to her before. He was no stranger to reading, but not out loud, so he had to clear his throat to ready himself._

_"Alright, the story of the seasons. Deep in the forests of Remnant, besides a great and mighty river stood the small, fragile home of a cold, frail man..."_

_Minutes passed, then hours, as he kept reading stories to Neo, occasionally drawing giggles from her when he struggled with the bigger words in the book. She sat there and listened, engrossed in the sound of his voice describing the old stories. Before either knew it, they had drifted to sleep, as the sun slipped below the horizon._

_He only stirred when a large, rough hand shook him gently. "Come on, lad. Time for you to be headin' back to your folks."_

_Bartleby was crouching over him as he rubbed at his tired eyes. He didn't know how long he had been asleep, but it was a relief to see that Neo was sleeping peacefully in her bed. "Mmmm... Okay..."_

_He lifted his head from where it had rested against the bed and followed the older man out of the room. Before he could walk downstairs, he heard the same faint bell noise he had earlier and turned back around. There the small girl, holding a tiny bell in her small fingers looked at him with a content smile and waved as he left._

_He couldn't help but return the gesture, beaming brightly as he did. "See ya again, Neo!"_

_The farm owner walked him home, chuckling to himself as he did. His parents were already home by then, and he ran to hug his mother, who ruffled his hair playfully. "And what time do you call this, little fella?"_

_"Sorry, mama." His tone wasn't even slightly apologetic, but it wasn't as if he was being seriously accused of anything. Off to the side, his father spoke with Bartleby._

_"Hope my boy did a good job today, Barty." The redhead man said with a carefree expression._

_"Sure looks like it. Mind if I borrow him again sometime? My girl could use some company her own age once in a while."_

_"If he's up for it, then I got no problem." The respective fathers shared a handshake over the agreement, Bartleby patting his old friend on the shoulder. Roman, who had been listening to the conversation smiled. Spending time with Neo had been more fun than he thought it would be, and getting to spend more time with her seemed like a good idea to him._

_"I'll look after her whenever you want, Mister!" One day he would ask why he had never met Neo before that day. He would ask why she couldn't talk. He would ask why she seemed so sickly and frail. But for now, those questions seemed far from his mind._

_He finally had a friend his own age. For now, he was just going to savour it._

* * *

Exhaling the last bit of smoke he could get from his cigar, Roman looked over at the girl he'd met that day. She had changed so much that even he could hardly believe they were the same person. He didn't need to look after her any more. If anything, she had to keep an eye on him, and there was no-one he trusted with his back more than her.

His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of a scroll in his pocket, but not his usual one. It was the one Cinder had given him the night before, the one she had insisted he keep on him. Getting into character, he accepted the call and held it to his ear. "Calling for a second date already? I'm flattered, but it's a bit short notice."

"Oh, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something, but I thought I made it clear what I expected of you." Her voice was sultry, but with a clear hint of cruelty hidden beneath it. He would bet half his money she was a sadist beneath that pretty face, and he'd be confident he'd win that bet. "I have some associates I need you to meet tomorrow. You'll be working very closely with them in the near future."

"Are they good? I don't want to be dealing with any more amateurs after that fiasco last night." He wasn't even lying about that part. Whether he was a real crook of just pretending, watching Junior's men fail so spectacularly was just painful for him to watch, and he didn't need that kind of incompetence getting in the way of his real work.

"They're more disciplined than them, but just as expendable. If you want to know more, meet in warehouse 7 on Kent Boulevard at midnight tomorrow. As always, I'll expect you to be on time." She hung up without any further comment or chance for him to think of a witty remark. Putting the scroll back down, he turned to his partner. "Guess I've gotta be ready for business."

Neo pouted at having the shoulder she was using as a pillow move, but then dropped his hat onto his head and smirked at him. "Can't meet your audience without your effects."

"See, this is why you get me." He smiled back, adjusting his hat and helping her to her feet. "Who knows, if this goes well I might even be able to get you in on this soon."

That really made Neo happy, swinging the parasol weapon she called Hush onto her shoulder as she almost skipped away. "I'll look forward to that. Just remember not to keep a lady waiting."

"Roman Torchwick always makes sure the ladies leave happy." Roman said with a wink, earning himself a playful eye roll from the shorter woman. "Thanks for dropping by. See you again soon."

"Take care, Roman." Neo signed one last message before pulling the door closed behind her, leaving him alone again. He leaned his back against the door and sighed in disappointment that she couldn't stay longer. He tried to imagine she was still there, keeping his back safe from whatever trouble he was getting into, but he knew he was just being hopeful. After a moment, he forced himself away from the entry to his apartment, tiredness reminding him he'd need his sleep before tomorrow.

On the other side of the door, Neo waited until she couldn't hear him any more to let go of the door handle and walk back into the city. She didn't know the full details yet, but she knew one thing for certain; she would protect Roman from this "Cinder", even if she had to sabotage the plan to do it.

And then maybe, just maybe, she could finally be honest with him, and finally make him see her as she saw him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos on the previous chapter. I'm glad you guys seem as interested in this AU as I am.
> 
> I should address that future updates probably won't be this quick, for a few reasons. One is simply that I don't want to risk burning myself out on this too by overworking myself on it, as that would slow things down in the long run. Second, the further we go into the RWBY timeline, the more time I'm going to need to consider potential changes to the timeline, and their long term effect. This is still a relatively new idea for me, so I am still working out some of the details.
> 
> I wanted to get this chapter done reasonably quickly, both to introduce Neo to the story, and to give the first hints of the backstory, which we will be revisiting in the future. 
> 
> That's all for now. Everyone have a great day, and hope to see you next time.


	3. Chapter 3

Roman often wondered why so many criminals saw the need to meet in abandoned warehouses. Sure, they were spacious enough to get all your illegally acquired goods in, and whoever else you might need to run a job, but they always had broken windows, and never had their heating turned on, as the city wasn't quite incompetent enough to use valuable energy on a building no-one was officially using. As a result, he would often find himself shivering in places like this, which was one of several reasons he had his white coat insulated. That wasn't even getting into the lack of comfortable furniture, the rust, and more than a few vermin making nests in corners and other hidden places.

In short, he was in a bad mood before he'd even arrived for Cinder's meeting. Unfortunately she was still his best lead for now, so he would have to tolerate a few minor annoyances if it meant keeping on her good side. _"Good side? Pretty sure that one's rotten to the core."_

Prying the half rusted door open with a little effort from his cane, he slipped into the dark building, pulling out his Scroll and turning on its light to see where he was going. The area was silent, unsurprising considering he had arrived early. He had considered putting recording devices in hidden locations, but if they got found then all his efforts would be in vain. Ozpin would just have to trust his word on the situation for now.

After reaching the main hall of the warehouse and confirming he was the first to arrive, Torchwick leaned against the least unstable looking pillar and got a cigar ready. It would add to his image of being a tough, yet sophisticated gangster, and he didn't want to have to deal with cravings in the middle of an important job.

"My, you're early." He turned at the sudden voice from the shadows, seeing the gold eyed woman walk out of the darkness and into what little moonlight slipped through the broken windows. He wasn't sure how she had been able to get that close without him noticing, but he didn't like it.

"What can I say? I just couldn't wait to see you." His forced attempts at charm had no clear effect on Cinder, as expected. "But business before pleasure. What's on the agenda today?"

"Patience, Roman, patience. All your questions will be answered soon." She turned and gestured for someone he couldn't quite see to come closer. He squinted to get a better look, before his eyes widened as the figures stepped closer and their distinct appearance took form. On instinct, he readied Melodic Cudgel to fire, but stopped himself from pointing it towards the group. "Roman, meet your partners for your next job."

"...I'm sorry, can we back up a bit? Why exactly are we partnering with the White Fang!?" Anger and a bit of paranoia slipped into his tone, despite his best efforts. He knew that the Faunus group held no love for humanity, so working with them seemed a good way to get himself shot in the back. Part of him wondered if Cinder had caught on to his true allegiances, and this was a way to get him killed and frame someone else, but he decided not to linger on that unless he got more hints to it. "They're not exactly our biggest fans in the world, so I'd like at least some reassurance that this partnership isn't going to end with out teammates dumping our bodies somewhere!"

The hooded figures shifted in frustration at the accusations, but the calmer ones kept the more hot headed ones from doing anything yet. He made a mental note of who had which reactions, knowing that if things went wrong that information could save his life. Cinder smirked confidently at him, giving the impression that she was either a genius planner who had ensured this would work, or an overconfident fool that would wind up suffering the consequences. Both possibilities worried him in different ways. "The White Fang will benefit from this too much to reject our offer, and a unification of our forces and their numbers will benefit us both when the time comes."

A worrying statement if he ever heard one. It sounded to him like, whatever the fiery woman was planning, it was large scale and destructive. "And you want me to do what exactly? Hold their leash?"

"Prove to me that my decision to hire them was well founded. Perform the task I give you well, and it will secure both you and them a position in my forces. Surely that's what you want, isn't it? To be on the winning side?" Outwardly, the words appeared tantalising, as if she was trying to charm him into joining her willingly. He knew better. It was a threat, saying that failure to comply with her ambitions would lead to him meeting a fiery end, so it was fortunate for him that he had no plans of backing down.

Before he answered, something occurred to him, a way he might be able to use this to his advantage. "...Fine, but if I am going to be having a bunch of human haters at my back, I'd like it if I can get myself some extra insurance."

"That depends on what you had in mind, Roman."

"Here me out. I've worked a few jobs with one of the best thieves you'll ever see. Always sticks to the plan, never backs down from a challenge, and keeps everything about her work and associates to herself. One call's all I'd need to get her in on this, keeping an eye on my back and your employees." His sale pitch seemed to be having some effect, but she didn't look convinced yet. He'd need to find some way to really win her over to his idea. "I mean, what's the point of hiring a criminal mastermind if you don't see what connections I have? Test them out, and maybe you'll find a real gem of a business partner."

Cinder observed him carefully, her eyes seeming to bore into him, the pale light making them seem to glow, before a malicious smirk grew on her face. "Very well. You may bring your own accomplice on this task. However, should they prove to be anything less than what you're promising me, then I'm sure you'll be willing to pay the consequences for the disappointment."

The fire appearing in her hand served as a perfectly clear punctuation to her obvious threat. Considering who he was bringing into this job though, he didn't feel even remotely in danger of failing at his task.

With her display of power out of the way, Cinder handed him a photograph and map. "This is the target. You are to acquire the Dust by the end of tomorrow night. All details on the acquisition and escape are for you to work on. Prove that I can trust future tasks to you, Roman."

She began walking off, her confidence showing how much she considered herself above the other occupants. The White Fang members stepped aside to let her pass, an act that showed they knew who was in-charge of this operation, and that angering her would be bad for their long term health. Once she was gone, Roman rested the map on a nearby crate and sighed deeply at how much work he'd have to do. "Alright, try to pay attention. As long as I'm in-charge of this operation, you all do as I say like good boys and girls. Understand, or do I have to dumb it down for you?"

More than a few of the assembled group growled in frustration at him, but only one actually answered, a large man who lacked the hood his companions were wearing, had a more elaborate mask, and black tattoos on his left arm. "If you get us what we want, then we'll play along for now. But you try to sell us out, and that woman will have to see you as an acceptable loss to her operations."

"Can't say I love those terms, but I was thinking something similar in reverse, so I can't say it's not fair." If he was being perfectly honest, he didn't trust any of them, but if working with them was his next lead, he'd need to put that aside for now. The big one seemed like the leader of this small group, so he'd try to only talk with him to save time and his own patience. "So, tell me what weapons you've got. If all goes right you won't need 'em, but it never hurts to give people incentive to hand over their Dust."

Of the five White Fang members in the toom, four of them pulled out guns, the kind anyone with even the slightest black market connections could get their hands on cheap. They were unreliable at range, didn't hold many shots, and had a bad habit of the sights not lining up properly, but were still better than most homemade weapons. Useful for intimidation, but in an actual fight they would be dead weight, possibly literally if they weren't careful. The leader however presented a far more impressive specimen, hoisting up a large chainsaw attached to a sword hilt. It looked well made, and while not the most practical weapon in the world, it was strong and would put a lot of fear into anyone unfortunate enough to find it pointed at them. "Do these meet your standards?"

"They'll do, tough guy. Alright, this store is close to a local police station, and with the high end look it's got, it probably has a more advanced alarm system than most. Just going in and waving guns around is likely to get us all arrested, and you all wearing your club uniforms makes it easier to find out who to blame. So, here's the plan. My partner and I will stake the place out and find a way to disable the security systems at approximately 10PM. The rest of you will be on standby in civilian garb and wait for our signal. Once that's done, you'll go in and secure the premise. With the Dust in hand, you'll get into a getaway vehicle driven by yours truly, we drive to somewhere safe to ditch it, split up and meet back here once we're certain that the cops aren't following us."

"You plan to hit them fast and get out of there before they have a chance to retaliate, yes?"

"That's the idea. Since you seem like the leader of this little group of yours, and your average clerk's going to start begging for mercy when they see that weapon of yours, I'm putting you in-charge of grabbing the Dust. You'll get my signal and you'll give out orders when I'm not there, but you stick to the plan." He said with authority, despite how much bigger the other man was. He was in his element, planning on how best to handle his tasks, so them messing it up by improvising would more than annoy him.

"Fine. You can contact me with this number." The two men exchanged the information of their respective spare Scrolls, the ones each would destroy if the other was caught. This man, for all his appearances of being a brute wasn't an idiot, so Roman would have to keep an eye on him if he wanted things to go smoothly. "Don't leave us to take the fall, human. Treachery will be met with retaliation."

"Yes, yes, between you and Miss Pyromaniac the threats to my life are abundantly clear. Just do as I say and we'll be sitting on a treasure trove of Dust." He said, having to call at the end as the Faunus walked off, none waiting for him to finish. While he thought that was rude of them, he appreciated them leaving quickly, as he had a certain old friend to get in touch with.

* * *

9PM.

A finely dressed store clerk was going over his wares, Dust imported from Atlas, straight from the Schnee family. It cost his employer a fair amount to get such high quality products, but they brought in a steady profit, even if the customers usually didn't really appreciate the value of what they were buying. Sales would be down at the moment, but with how late some people left buying their Dust, the store would stay open into the night, even if it meant selling to unscrupulous customers.

Speaking of, the door opened and the man turned to greet what he assumed were customers, only to see a ginger haired man in a high visibility jacket, accompanied by a short blonde woman dressed in the game garb. "Can I help you?"

"Red Andersen, Vale Electrical Association. We received reports of a power surge in this area, so we're checking the local businesses to make sure nothing was damaged." Roman flashed his false credentials at the man, all expertly forged to make them appear genuine to the untrained eye.

"Really? I hadn't noticed anything of the sort." The clerk clearly hadn't seen through the deception and gave the disguised robber a look of genuine confusion and concern.

"That's why we're here. Sometimes these things damage systems in ways that aren't obvious, like affecting your heating system, your alarms, your air conditioning, you name it." He observed how the mans eyebrows raised slightly at the mention of the alarms being affected and knew that it was working. No good employee would risk being the one to accidentally ruin their security. "So, me and my partner have been sent to check that everything's in order, and then if there is work out when we can send some people out to fix it. Are you okay to have us check around?"

"O-of course...! Right this way!" The poor guy was starting to sweat about the consequences if he turned them away in error. Torchwick almost felt bad for him, and what was about to happen, but he couldn't afford to hesitate. The two were guided into the basement of the building, a room with neatly tied together cable all feeding into various devices mounted on the walls. "This contains all the necessary components for you to check, but if there's anything unaccounted for, please don't hesitate to come and get me from upstairs."

"Really sorry for the trouble. We'll try to keep this quick." That part wasn't even a lie, just misleading on what he meant. As if to prove a point, each of the two went over to a different device and pulled out several convincing looking devices to sell the act. The clerk took this as reassuring and went back upstairs to keep an eye on the products. With eyes off them, he looked over at the disguised Neo, who with a smirk flipped a switch on a small box she had hooked up to the controls for the security cameras. "Alright, let's get to work."

With a nod, Neo passed him a second device as he went over to a very specific part of the room. They weren't in any hurry, as she had just put all the camera and recording devices into a repeating loop, so it would look like they were hunched over their starting points, hard at work. They would have disabled them all together, but that would attract too much attention too fast. This would keep their actions hidden long enough to complete their job. Now it was a matter of taking care of the silent alarm, the one thing that could ruin this plan for them. Again, actually disabling it would send a message to the police about it going offline, so they had to do something more subtle.

"Connect this...unplug that...snap these together... Done!" Hiding the device, he made his way back to his starting position, and after a second for them both to prepare, Neo reactivated the security devices. No-one would be any wiser about the signal from the silent alarm being redirected to the small box now plugged into the security systems until it was too late. All that was left was for them to make it look like they were checking the rest of the equipment in the room, before they made their way back upstairs. "Sorry for the bother. Looks like everything's in order."

The clerk let out a sigh of relief before flashing them a smile. "Glad to hear it. Thank you for your hard work."

"Happy to be of service." Roman turned to leave, trying not to think about what was about to happen to that shopkeeper. Just because it was for a good cause didn't mean he had to like all the requirements of his job. He let out a deep breath and forced himself into character. "Well, my plucky assistant, shall we get to our daring plans?"

She shot him an unimpressed look for that comment before smiling herself, dropping her disguise as they ducked into a nearby alley and into a van they had parked nearby earlier. Once there, he pulled out his scroll and sent a message to his accomplices, giving them the all clear to go ahead. While he waited, he climbed into the back of the van and changed from his disguise into his signature attire, so everyone would be looking for a very distinct gentleman and not every redhead man of his age.

Re-joining Neo at the front of the vehicle, he glanced at her smug smile as she observed him. "Alright, alright. Not everyone has your gift for swapping disguises."

She nodded with a proud look on her face as he started the engine. By now, their goons should have emptied most of the displays of Dust, so it was time for them to get into position. Driving at a casual pace, he pulled up in-front of the store in a way that wouldn't draw unwanted attention from passers-by and glanced inside. The White Fang members had swapped their uniforms for suits and masks that covered their whole heads, so at least they knew how to take advice. The big one was staying near the front, keeping an eye on a clearly terrified store clerk, while his accomplices shuffled everything into crates and other containers.

After another minute, they emerged back onto the streets, loading the Dust in once they got the back of the getaway vehicle open. With all the stolen goods piled in, the five robbers climbed in themselves and closed up, giving Roman the cue he was waiting for to drive off. Making a turn down an alley after putting some distance between himself and the scene of the crime, he pulled over again next to a more subtle car that he'd put there in advance, and gestured to one of the White Fang members with the tail of a rodent. "Ratty, this is your stop. Try not to lose anything, kay?"

Ratty would have argued about the demeaning nickname, but his captain stopped him, and the two of them quickly loaded the car up with their ill gotten goods. Once it could contain no more, the big one climbed back into the van and the two cars went their separate ways. Over the next few minutes, they repeated this process three more times in different locations, losing more and more cargo and goons with each stop. Eventually, it was only Roman, Neo, the White Fang leader, and a few small containers of Dust still in the van.

"Neo, get everything in order." His mute partner nodded as she went into the back area, his turning not affecting her movements in the slightest. Grabbing three briefcases, she started loading what was still there into them. When they were fully filled, she handed one to the White Fang member, put one on the passenger seat, and held onto the third herself. "Confession time, we couldn't get a fifth getaway car in time, so the three of us are making the rest of the journey on foot. When we stop, ditch the mask and try to act like a businessman on a late shift and go a separate way from us."

"You could have told me that a little earlier!" The large Faunus yelled as he held onto the case.

"Where's the fun in that?" Stopping in the last deserted alley of the night, Roman turned off the engine and climbed out of the door. "See you there if you don't get caught!"

With those last words he ran off, not waiting for a response from his accomplice. In turn, Neo threw a wink at the still annoyed extremist before making her own getaway into the night, seeming to vanish once she got further into the shadows the city cast. Grumbling to himself, the last of the three removed his mask and tried to look casual as he emerged onto the street, the briefcase full of Dust carefully gripped in his hands.

* * *

Of the three of them, Neo was the first to arrive at the meeting spot. Her ability to disguise her appearance meant she could be the only one to truly disappear from the streets, as the police would look for the wrong woman the rest of the night. Four utterly mundane cars parked nearby told her that the Faunus extremists had made it before her, and were probably examining the goods at that very moment. Hoisting Hush onto her shoulder, she strode confidently into the warehouse.

She was right in her assessment, as the four less notable White Fang members has put their white masks back on and were looking over everything. Ratty had a particular smirk as he looked at the crystals they had. Knocking on a nearby beam, they all turned and instinctively pointed their guns at her, to which she jokingly raised her hands in unnecessary surrender. After a moment to give them a chance to lower them, she glared across at the four. The rat tailed Faunus tried to give a confident smirk, but it just made him look sleazy instead. "Sorry, shorty. But we've decided we're taking this Dust back to the Fang. We don't need you and your little boyfriend anymore."

They expected many reactions from the petite woman. Anger at being betrayed, fear at imminent death, or even simple confusion. They had not expected her to mime laughter with a smug look in her eyes. Losing his temper, a Faunus with snake fangs fired a shot at her, prompting the others to fire as well. None of the shots reached her, as she opened Hush in-front of herself, blocking half the shots fired at her as the remaining half missed entirely. None of them could see her smile at this turn of events.

She hated working with amateurs, but she loved to put them in their place.

Dashing forward, Neo hopped onto one of the Dust crates and used it to launch herself into the air at the snake Faunus, the man desperately raising his gun to fire a shot at his attacker before she could hit. The bullet hit the girl clean in the chest, only for her to shatter like glass before their eyes. The assembled Faunus had a collective second to process what just happened, before one of them had her ankle hooked by Hush, tripping her over and leaving her an easy target for a quick blow to the chin, knocking her to the ground.

Now officially disoriented, the remaining three wouldn't put up much fight, so there was no harm in Neo having some fun with them. Practically dancing between the panicked shots of the three, she glided over to her second victim, the snake that had fired the first shot. When she reached him, she slid behind him while she grabbed his arm, twisting it uncomfortable against his back. After letting him struggle pathetically for a few seconds, she pulled against him in a way to make him spin to face her, just in time for his face to meet her raised shoe, sending him tumbling over backwards.

Two left, and one of them was clearly shaking, while Ratty still tried to pretend he was calm, even when he clearly wasn't. Neither reacted fast enough when she somersaulted in-between them, landing with an almost sadistic smile aimed at the more panicked of the two. "A-aaaahhhh! Stay back!"

He moved to shoot, but his fear stricken mind was too slow. Spinning to his side, she hooked her arm around his, while kicking his ankle out from under him. Then, once he was losing his balance, she pressed down on his trigger finger to make him fire a shot at the last Faunus standing, before letting go of his arm and slamming her knee into his chest, guaranteeing he wouldn't get back up any time soon.

The shot hit Ratty in the shoulder, throwing him back and causing his own shot to fire at least five feet to Neo's right. At that moment it was already over for him, as the next few seconds became a blur for him. Slipping away while he was recoiling from the blast, she made sure he lost track of where she was before knocking the gun out of his hand with her parasol, leaving him defenceless. If she had to give him one compliment, it was that he didn't give up easily, as he tried to throw a punch at her, but that was it. Deflecting the poorly executed attack, Neo spun so her back was against his chest, then raised her leg high enough to kick him in the face.

With the strike disorienting him, she grabbed his outstretched arm and spun him around until his head collided with a support beam. Then, all that was left to do was bring her heel down onto the back of his head, and he went down like the rest of his failed conspirators. With no-one able to lift themselves enough to fight back, the petite spy decided to put the finishing touches on her domination of them, unsheathing the narrow blade stored within Hush. With carefully, delicate motions, she brought the tip of the sharp instrument to the eye hole of Ratty's mask, tracing around the thin slit in a way he couldn't ignore. The threat was remarkably clear. "A-alright...! I yield..."

Neo sheathed the blade, disappointed that his devotion to his cause was so easily shaken, but not enough to complain about the outcome. As she went to sit on a crate to relax after her game, she turned in the direction of a slow clapping noise. She had hoped it was Roman, but tried to hide how let down she was when instead it was a dark-haired woman in red. She could only assume this was Cinder, the woman she would find herself working with for the foreseeable future. "I must say, I wasn't expecting a show with my shipment of Dust."

"Just another way my associates and I strive to satisfy." There was the voice she was actually looking for, walking into the building with the White Fang leader following a few steps behind him. The larger man's body language showed that he was not happy, even through his mask hid the glare he was no doubt giving all of them. Roman ignored him and walked over to Cinder, pulling open the briefcase to show its contents to her. "All present and accounted for."

Picking up one of the larger crystals and examining it, the brunette smirked at him before putting it back. "It would seem you have both proven your value to me. Your partners in this job on the other hand..."

The Fang's leader stood up straight when she looked at him, placing the briefcase down before addressing her. "I apologise for my subordinates. Clearly I have not properly disciplined them on the importance of loyalty. A mistake I will correct, personally."

"See that you do, immediately." Cinder's voice was firm, and the man only relaxed his stance once she looked away from him, at which point he dragged Ratty towards the others, while she gestured for Roman and Neo to follow her to the other side of the room. The conversation that followed did not drown out the harsh discipline the traitors were subjected to by their commander. "I must say Roman, if I had known you had such a capable fighter at your beck and call, I would have requested to meet her sooner."

"You really shouldn't underestimate criminal masterminds, sweetheart. The cops are, and look how good a job they're doing against us." Roman brought his cigar to his lips when he was done talking, the suppression of his cravings for them being his self-given reward for a job well done.

"I suppose you have performed more admirably than I initially expected. That will make the next phase of my plan significantly easier."

"Oh? And what could that sinister brain of yours have cooked up for what to do next?" Smoke practically poured out of his mouth as he spoke, hand waving the still burning cigar around for effect. Cinder didn't react to it at all, though Neo tried to wave at least some of it away.

"I will be leaving town for a few weeks, along with two associates of mine...and I would like this partner of yours to accompany me." She smirked when that comment clearly caught both Roman and Neo off guard, the two sharing a confused look before turning to her for an explanation. "The full details of my plan are not required for you to do your jobs. For now, at least. All you need to know at the moment is that I must infiltrate Haven Academy, and the best way to do that is to join the year's class."

"Haven? In Mistral? If you're hiding there, what's the point of me hitting shops hear in Vale?" Torchwick was having trouble understanding what Cinder's plan was supposed to be. Surely the two jobs were connected, but how? He needed to know more. "What, was this all just one big test run?"

"No. In fact, while I head to Haven, you are to remain here and continue gathering Dust for us. The more you can acquire before I return, the better." Despite talking to Roman, Cinder kept her gaze on Neo. The heterochromatic girl thought she looked like a predator sizing up her prey, so she smirked at her to show she wasn't afraid of the taller woman. "Of course, to pretend to be students, I will need a fourth teammate. Your partner here would appear to have the sufficient skills and...appearance to fill that role."

The brunette got a sarcastic look from Neo for that last comment, the kind that said she knew what Cinder was implying and didn't care for her attempts to feign politeness. The look was ignored as Roman spoke up again. "Let me guess, you want me to keep working with THEM, don't you?"

"That is correct. While tonight showed that not all members of the White Fang can be trusted, as long as you keep them in line with those that know what's best for them, you'll be fine. Or are you telling me you can't handle a few Faunus?"

"...Fine, but when they turn, I'll be first in line to say I told you so." He tried to avoid showing how anxious this situation was making him. He didn't know what the plan was, the woman he was trying to spy on was planning to take his partner to another continent, and he had to put his trust in a bunch of people that had less than ten minutes ago been trying to betray them all. This did not inspire confidence in the undercover man, but he would have to bear it for now. "Of course, I can't speak for my associate here. Neo, does her offer sound interesting?"

She made a show of making it look like she was thinking, even though he already knew her answer. After a moment of "thinking" with her index finger tapping her cheek, she smiled and nodded, drawing a smirk from the more sinister woman. "Good. I will arrange transport for us in the next few days. Roman, I trust you can pass along this information to her on my behalf?"

It wasn't really a question, but he knew she would get angry if he didn't answer. "You're already making me your middle manager, so guess I can't exactly refuse, but I'll expect better pay when this is over."

"If you want better rewards, then be sure to do your job well. I have high expectations, after all." Somehow every expression that graced Cinder's face was full of malevolence and scorn for those around her, making even this comment seem more like a threat than anything else. Most likely because it was. "By the way, Roman. You will continue to operate from here. We have made use of certain legal loopholes to acquire it, and it will make for suitable storage for the Dust. I suggest you get comfortable."

"Oh, just keep the GREAT news coming. So happy for this cold, badly lit gift." Roman looked back to see what was happening with the White Fang members. Looked like their leader had given them all a good beating for what they had done, but the spy couldn't help but wonder what made this man so eager to follow the plans of a human. The Fang hated humanity, so being subservient to one seemed like a contradiction to him. He made a note that he would have to look into that while Cinder was away. "Anything else you feel like sharing, sweetheart?"

"No. Continue as planned, and wait for me to contact you about our journey to Mistral. Until then, try not to let yourself be caught. It would be so...disappointing." Once again she turned to leave, it seeming in her nature to always insist on having the last word of any conversation. Taking one last breath from his cigar, Roman discarded it and walked back to the stolen goods, the White Fang members walking over to him, all but one looking worse for wear.

"I've disciplined my troops. There will be no more insubordination."

"Good, now they can make up for it by getting this place cleaned up. If we're going to be using this place as a base, the least I expect is to not be dealing with rusty walls and week old puddles. I expect you'll bring more troops in the meantime?" Roman talked while looking through the Dust to make sure they had at least gotten a decent haul. The results looked satisfying, though he knew they'd have to pale in comparison to what he would have by the time the megalomaniacal woman returned.

"Of course. And I will personally make sure that they will not repeat the mistakes of tonight. I will report back to you with my results in due time."

"The rest of you can leave as well. We'll work on fixing this place up tomorrow." The failed traitors needed no further encouragement to leave, scurrying away once they knew it was allowed. The leader left more calmly, casually strolling away, leaving Roman and Neo alone. Once they were certain no-one else was listening, he breathed a deep sigh. "Well, could have gone better, could have gone worse."

"You'd think she'd cut the Fang loose after they tried that." Neo's signs reflected his own mood. They had worked hard to engineer a situation that would get them fired by Cinder, making sure that the one who could keep them in line would be out of the picture long enough for treachery to happen, but she still felt the need to keep the extremists around.

"It gives us some useful intel, if nothing else." He started taking notes on his Scroll, to make sure he could keep his thoughts in order for his next report. "Whatever she's planning, the Fang play a part. She needs them for it, or she'd be looking elsewhere."

"But why? What do they have that she can't get elsewhere?" A good question, one he didn't have a proper answer to. The obvious would be that they had sufficient numbers, but was that really all there was to it?

"I'll need to think on that. More importantly..." He turned from his Scroll to look straight at Neo, concern showing in his one visible eye. "You really okay with going to Haven with her."

She looked downward, reluctant to meet his gaze at first. She hated when he was worried, even if it was for her. "Honestly, no. But someone needs to keep an eye on her, figure out what she's up to."

"I hate it when you're right."

"Besides, I'm more worried about you. You know you need someone to save your butt." She stuck her tongue out at him when she finished signing her message. He knew she was trying to reassure him, but he got a chuckle out of it anyway.

"Like I said, I hate it when you're right." They took a moment to relax in each other's company, letting the problems of tomorrow rest for now, and the calm of the night's victories soothe them. It was interrupted when both remembered the night also brought cold drafts into the poorly maintained room. "Come on. We've got a lot to think about, and I refuse to do it here."

She was no less eager to follow him away, both turning their thoughts to the situation they'd found themselves in. Their successes were reason to feel confident, but the unexpected factors and reactions made them equally uncertain. Too many questions went unanswered for now, and yet more were appearing in their minds by the second. All they could do was hope that they were making the right choices to learn the truth of the matter, before whatever Cinder was planning came to pass.

One thing was certain, though. They would be quite busy for the foreseeable future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, thanks for reading. Hope you're all doing well, and that you enjoyed this chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there. First of all, thanks for reading to the end of the chapter. Second, I want to express that right now this is more of a proof of concept than anything else. The idea for this alternate universe was one I thought of and figured might be fun to explore, but I want to know what you guys think. If people seem as interested as I am, then I will consider continuing forward, though updates might be a little slow if that is the case, as I work out details of how things might change from the main timeline. I have a few ideas, mostly for the backstory of this story's version of Roman and Neo, how they know each other, etc.  
> Lastly, I hope everyone's taking care of themselves, and hope you all have great days now and for the foreseeable future. Take care, everyone, and thanks again for reading.


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